Frank Lampard on Monday was sacked as Everton manager after less than a year in charge at the struggling English Premier League club.
Lampard was hired by Everton to replace Rafael Benitez in January last year, but the former Chelsea boss leaves with the team languishing 19th in the table.
Everton fell to a damaging 2-0 defeat at relegation rivals West Ham United on Saturday — a ninth loss in their past 12 Premier League matches which left them level on points with bottom club Southampton.
Photo: AFP
Everton owner Farhad Moshiri had previously offered public backing for Lampard, but the tame surrender at West Ham proved the final straw for Moshiri, who was at the game to watch Everton for the first time in 14 months.
After several hours of reports that Lampard had been sacked, Everton finally confirmed the 44-year-old’s departure on Monday evening.
“Everton Football Club can confirm that Frank Lampard has left his post as senior men’s first team manager today,” a club statement said. “Everyone at Everton would like to thank Frank and his coaching staff for their service during what has been a challenging 12 months.”
“Frank and his team’s commitment and dedication have been exemplary throughout their time at the club, but recent results and the current league position meant this difficult decision had to be taken, it said. “We wish Frank and all his backroom team well for their future in the game. The club has started the process to secure a new manager and will provide updates on the appointment in due course.”
Paul Tait and Leighton Baines would take training until a new manager is appointed, with Everton’s next game against Premier League leaders Arsenal on Feb. 4.
Everton felt compelled to act over Lampard’s future as they fight to avoid playing outside the top flight for the first time since 1954.
Lampard arrived at Everton 12 months ago with the team languishing in 16th place, and the former Chelsea and England midfielder initially looked a shrewd appointment, helping the Merseyside club to avoid relegation.
Fueled by fervent backing from their fans at Goodison Park, the Toffees beat the drop by winning three of their final six league matches, including a dramatic 3-2 success against Crystal Palace that preserved their top-tier status.
Everton are now looking for their eighth permanent manager in less than seven years after Lampard failed to build on the momentum from that successful end to last season.
In a sign of the turmoil enveloping Everton, club directors were earlier this month ordered to stay away from Goodison Park due to perceived security risks.
Lampard won only 12 of his 44 matches in charge of Everton in all competitions.
Former Burnley manager Sean Dyche, ex-Leeds coach Marcelo Bielsa and West Ham’s former Everton manager David Moyes are among the potential candidates to replace Lampard, according to bookmakers.
Al-Ittihad boss Nuno Espirito Santo, formerly of Wolverhampton Wanderers, and former Everton striker Wayne Rooney, now in charge of MLS side DC United, have also been mooted as possible contenders.
Hampered by the sale of Brazil forward Richarlison to Tottenham last summer, Everton managed only three wins in 20 league games this season against a backdrop of mounting fan fury.
There have been widespread protests against the board and Lampard at games.
Supporters staged a sit-in demonstration after the recent loss to Southampton, with Everton defender Yerry Mina and teammate Anthony Gordon confronted by fans when they left Goodison Park.
Responding to Lampard’s sacking, Everton fans’ group NSNOW called for Moshiri to “stop the rot.”
“Nothing tells the story of Everton’s mismanagement under the current owner and board more than the fact we now need to appoint our eighth ‘permanent’ manager since 2016,” the statement said. “The chaos and dysfunction within Everton’s leadership has got us into this position. The owner needs to take urgent and radical steps to stop the rot. Or sell to someone who will.”
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
RSS